NFL quarterback career comparison

Every line is one quarterback’s career, game by game: the 50 with the most regular-season passing yards whose careers began in 1999 or later. Pick a stat and a quarterback to measure against. That quarterback becomes the flat line at zero, and every other line shows how far ahead or behind they were after the same number of games. Tap a line or a name to highlight it, or download the chart as an image.

Highlights

Passing yards: Brady got there by lasting

Tom Brady has the most passing yards, 89,216, but got there by lasting. Of the other 49, 22 were ahead of Brady’s pace after the same number of games.

Stat
Measured against
  1. 129,328
  2. 227,952
  3. 327,260
  4. 425,864
  5. 525,854
  6. 625,757
  7. 725,742
  8. 825,590
  9. 925,322
  10. 1024,794

36 of 50 reached game 100.

Highlight, or tap a line

What stands out

  • Drew Brees: 80,428 yards in 287 games, +5,399 versus Brady at the same point.
  • Aaron Rodgers: 67,501 yards in 268 games, −2,765 versus Brady at the same point.
  • Matthew Stafford: 65,767 yards in 243 games, +2,224 versus Brady at the same point.
  • Patrick Mahomes: 36,976 yards in 130 games, +5,872 versus Brady at the same point.

Passing yards

  • Tom Brady has the most passing yards of the 50 quarterbacks on this chart: 89,216 in 335 games.
  • Through 100 games, Patrick Mahomes leads with 29,328 passing yards.
  • Patrick Mahomes has the most passing yards per game, 284.4, among the 50 with at least 48 games.
  • 22 of the other 49 have more passing yards than Brady had after the same number of games.
  • Matthew Stafford reached 40,000 passing yards in the fewest games: 147.
  • Among active quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers has the most: 67,501 in 268 games.

How this is built

Regular season only. A game is any regular-season game with at least one pass attempt, so a season lost to injury does not leave a gap in a line; the career just reaches the next game later. Through week 5 of the 2026 season.

The 50 quarterbacks with the most passing yards whose careers began in 1999 or later. Game-by-game data starts in 1999, so a career that began earlier would be plotted from its middle and every game number on it would be wrong. That leaves out Peyton Manning, who debuted in 1998, along with Brett Favre and Kurt Warner.

A line above zero is ahead of the chosen quarterback after the same number of games. Past the last game of that quarterback’s career the comparison continues at their career average per game, drawn dashed, because those games were never played. The same 50 quarterbacks appear for every stat.

A win belongs to the quarterback who started the game, which is how the NFL credits it. A game entered off the bench counts as a game played but cannot add a win, and a tie adds nothing. Sacks are sacks taken.

Totals come from nflverse and can differ from official records by a few yards.

The data
#QuarterbackTeamSeasonsGamesPass ydsPass TDIntSacksRush ydsRush TDWins
1Tom BradyNew England Patriots2000–202233589,2166492125651,12328251
2Drew BreesNew Orleans Saints2001–202028780,42857124341975225172
3Aaron RodgersactiveGreen Bay Packers2005–202626867,5015371276133,64136166
4Matthew StaffordactiveDetroit Lions2009–202624365,7674292025321,37815122
5Ben RoethlisbergerPittsburgh Steelers2004–202124964,1284182115551,37020165
6Philip RiversLos Angeles Chargers2004–202524563,9784252124706093133
7Matt RyanAtlanta Falcons2008–202223462,7923811834881,53913124
8Eli ManningNew York Giants2004–201923557,0233662444115677117
9Joe FlaccoBaltimore Ravens2008–202520748,17627217242493017107
10Russell WilsonSeattle Seahawks2012–202520546,9663531145705,56831121
11Carson PalmerCincinnati Bengals2004–201718246,252294187341475892
12Kirk CousinsactiveMinnesota Vikings2012–202617945,9693101353539632091
13Derek CarrLas Vegas Raiders2014–202416941,245257112303956777
14Jared GoffactiveDetroit Lions2016–202615641,1072681022976121393
15Andy DaltonactiveCincinnati Bengals2011–202617739,7932541523631,5092283
16Dak PrescottactiveDallas Cowboys2016–202614437,370252952932,1813185
17Donovan McNabbPhiladelphia Eagles1999–201116537,2462331174113,4792997
18Patrick MahomesactiveKansas City Chiefs2017–202613036,976276872242,7062099
19Matt HasselbeckSeattle Seahawks1999–201517636,6422121543571,247885
20Alex SmithKansas City Chiefs2005–202017435,6611991084342,6081599
21Jay CutlerChicago Bears2006–201715335,1322271603211,681974
22Ryan FitzpatrickBuffalo Bills2005–202116334,9822231693012,6252159
23Ryan TannehillMiami Dolphins2012–202315334,8812161154152,1052781
24Tony RomoDallas Cowboys2006–201613034,183248117249625578
25Cam NewtonCarolina Panthers2011–202114632,3821941233325,6237575
26Josh AllenactiveBuffalo Bills2018–202613031,111226972384,8398690
27Baker MayfieldactiveCleveland Browns2018–202612629,1401991032991,6481259
28Justin HerbertactiveLos Angeles Chargers2020–202610025,757168652421,8571552
29Jameis WinstonactiveTampa Bay Buccaneers2015–202610425,5971621162331,3641338
30Jeff GarciaSan Francisco 49ers1999–200812425,537161831842,1512657
31Matt SchaubHouston Texans2004–201911325,46613691180360447
32Daunte CulpepperMinnesota Vikings2000–200910424,1541491062972,6463441
33Carson WentzactivePhiladelphia Eagles2016–202610323,902162722681,4801150
34Andrew LuckIndianapolis Colts2012–20188623,671171831741,5901453
35Lamar JacksonactiveBaltimore Ravens2018–202611623,575193572356,6213679
36Geno SmithactiveSeattle Seahawks2013–202611123,252130892921,6491244
37Marc BulgerLos Angeles Rams2002–20099622,82112293254300841
38Mike VickAtlanta Falcons2001–201513322,464133883166,1153661
39Joe BurrowactiveCincinnati Bengals2020–20268222,171168542228951346
40Sam DarnoldactiveNew York Jets2018–20269921,186130872321,0871450
41Kyler MurrayactiveArizona Cardinals2019–20269121,122123622043,2863242
42Aaron BrooksNew Orleans Saints2000–20069020,261123922381,5721338
43Sam BradfordLos Angeles Rams2010–20188319,44910361196340234
44Trevor LawrenceactiveJacksonville Jaguars2021–20268218,996108611631,5012339
45Deshaun WatsonactiveHouston Texans2017–20267818,914130502632,3092040
46Jalen HurtsactivePhiladelphia Eagles2020–20269118,824118481963,6086459
47Daniel JonesactiveNew York Giants2019–20268818,70492592392,3682134
48Marcus MariotaactiveTennessee Titans2015–20269718,219111622082,4541836
49Tua TagovailoaactiveMiami Dolphins2020–20267918,20012060141473644
50Kyle OrtonDenver Broncos2005–20148618,04010169165296442

Data: nflverse weekly player stats. Updated . Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to Neutral Zone Labs.